The Osceola times., 1887-12-03
- So
RIPENlNG BANANAS.
How the Fruit Is Nursed and Heated in
Hot Cellars.

| How the Fruit Is Nursed and Heated in
| Hot Cellars.
Everywhere one may hear the cry:
Bananas all ripe!" Few people know
where they come from, who imports
them, how they are ripened and put
| upon the market. The yellow variety
the kind most extensively imported, is
brought principally from Jamaica, al
though Port Limon and Aspinwall each
export thousands of lunches yearly.
The red variety is wholly imported
| from Baracao.
One firm now employs three steam
ships which ply between New York and
Jamaica and are used solely for the inn
portation of fruit, chiefly bananas.
These steamers were built expressly
for this business, and are constructed
with countless ventilators and numer-
ous movable decks. The fruit is
packed in rather peculiar way. The
punches are stood on end, and two
layers are thus spread over the bottom
of the vessels hold, when a movable
deck is fitted over them. Then two
more layers of the fruit are laid down
and so on until the cargo is complete.
A vessel carries from 5000 to 5000
lunches per trip.
| The middlemen In the banana bust
ness purchase their stock 1T the whalNe.
rs soon as the vessel begins to unload.
They buy from 100 to 1000 lunches al
Il time and cart them Immediately to
the cellars, where they are iipcncd.
The banana reaches this country in al
extremely green condition. Upon
reaching these cellars the lunches arc
hung on hooks suspended in rows
along the ceiling. In the center of the
cellar is gas or oil stove, which is
generally so regulated MS TO prcscrye
temperature Of 60 OF 20 degrees. Fab.
renheit Here the fruit ripcns gradu-
ally until it is ready for the retailers.
Some times. however when the tlc-
mand is large for tho ripdned food, The
cellar is heated to 75 degrees, and
some times even to 80 degrees, but at
this temperature the banaua is apt to
| GUM do IL II 'dllci' dhu iN't ll7 id
vor. In general the -tcmperaturc of
the cellar is varied as the condition OF
the fruit demands, II the fruit Is
chilled, a high temperature is impera-
tive.
Some little time ago ice-boXcs were
introduced to the ripeniug rooms 10
the top of the box is large apartment,
into which the tee is put, while under
meath long dripping-pans of galvanized
iron are placed. The heat from the
gas-Stove converts the ice into water,
which slowly runs down into the pans
below. There it quickly evaporatcs
and reaches the top Of the room, where
the bananas are hung This addition
was at first regarded as a great im-
provement, for it ripencd the fruit
evenly and brought out u goldcn
color on the skin; but il was found
when ripcned in this manner the fruit
was extremely deiicate, and that It
spoiled almost Immediately when OK
posed TO an open atmosphere.
The banana must be nurSed as care
fully as a child ANY sudden change
of temperature or exposure to inclcm-
ent weather is very sure to produce a
bad effect. The fruit may be ripched
in twenty-four hours from the time of
lis arrival, but il is much better If q
longer time is taken.
In the transportation of this frlCt
very great care is used. The lunches
are first carefully enfolded in paper
bags and then packed in patent heated
cars. These cars contain oil stoves,
and are fitted with patent ventilators.
which preserve an even Temperature
about the fruit. The demand for ba-
nanas is largest from about April 10 10
July l. They are the most expensive
daring The last two weeks Of ApriL--
" i. Ereniaq Borld
An exchange says that the dainfs
4 60 '.est grapes Is 10 l.. nali. H.
y "